The Path of Memories
by Alinah
Summary: Aragorn returns to Imladris to spend the winter there, seeking respite from the dangers of the wild. His peace is disturbed, however, when he finds Legolas afflicted with a mysterious malady. The human s attempts to help his friend put his own life in grave danger.


**Note:** This story may be considered AU because of the close relationships that Aragorn has with Elrond and his sons and with Legolas. It was written for the Teitho challenge "Sickness"

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

**Thanks** to my beta Rachel for her helpful comments

**The Path of Memories**

An early dusk was descending upon the Last Homely House. Not only was autumn giving way to winter, but dark clowds drifted low above the treeline, beginning to lose a steady curtain of icy raindrops that promised to turn to snow soon. The wind, which had ripped colorful leaves off their branches for hours, picked up from the east, raising a howling voice.

Seldom had the steady warm glow of light emanating from Imladris seemed more welcoming, for this was no evening for anyone to venture outside.

Even so, a lone horse picked its way carefully down the steep trail that lead to the gates of Lord Elrond´s home. If it was in a hurry to reach shelter and food it did not let on. Rather, it walked with utmost care, as if afraid of unseating the still rider upon its back.

The grey beast´s obvious concern seemed rather ill-placed, however, because the elf riding it sat straight with no slump to his shoulers, seemingly unaffected by the cold breeze that whipped strands of his blond hair in front of his face. He did not even wear his cloak, though it was securely fastened to the travelling pack behind him.

A human would have had little chance of detecting horse and rider in this weather before they had reached the gates. The sentinels guarding Imladris, however, had easily spotted and identified both as soon as they turned down the path, sending a quick message to Lord Elrond and his sons.

"It is about time", Aragorn called to his elven brothers while they readied their horses, planning to accompany their friend the short distance still left of his long journey. "He promised to be here before winter fell."

"As did you", Elladan quipped with a grin, "and you arrived but three days ago."

The human chuckeld. "Aye, but I rode through the gates under a blue sky with sunrays warming my back."

"Stroke of luck", Elrohir chimed in. "Besides, if the two of you do not mount your horses soon, all we will be able to achieve is greeting the prince in the courtyard."

"And miss the opportunity of berating him for forcing us out in this weather?"Aragorn grinned , easily jumping upon the back of his stallion. "Not likely, gwanur-nîn."

Only moments later, the gates released three riders into the growing darkness. Their horses neighed with delight at this unexpected chance to stretch their legs before night settled in. Familar with the terrain, they easily galloped up the path.

Argorn allowed his elven brothers to take the lead, unable to stop himself from smiling. He had to admit to the fact that Legolas´absence had worried him from the moment he had arrived home. They had gone their separate ways several months earlier in Rohan, but only after having agreed to spend the winter in Imladris together.

Aragorn himself had arrived later than he had planned due to some distress in a village he had passed through. Therefore, he had been sure to arrive to the jibes of his friend. Gladly, he allowed his mind to busy itself planning some well-placed comments of his own.

The rain had turned to sleet by then. The human squinted into the wind, certain that they should have reached Legolas already. Before him, the twins´ horses slowed , forcing his own steed to halt his steps and finally stop.

Before them the massive bulk of Legolas´ horse emerged from the darkness. It went at a steady, slow pace, head bowed low against the wind, and failed to stop until it had practically walked into Elladan´s horse, who whinnied in protest. The grey´s head snapped up in obvious surprise.

"By the Valar, Legolas! Are you planning to drive us off the path by ways of welcome?" Elrohir exclaimed, his voice mischieous rather than angry.

Suspecting a jest himself, Aragorn raised his voice to call over the wind: "If you believe this will keep our complaints at bay you are gravely mistaken, mellon-nîn. Rest assured that it is only Lord Elrond´s insistence on suitable protocol that forced us to escort your highness home in such foul weather."

He waited for a reply, but none was forthcoming. Elladan, who had been suspicously quiet througout his brothers comments, suddenly leant foreward and gently shook Legolas´ arm, saying a few quiet words that Aragorn failed to understand. Worry sliced through him with a more bitter cold than the wind, but then he heard Legolas reply.

"Well-met, my friends." The wood-elf´s voice sounded slightly raspy. "It is good to see you, too."

There was a short, slightly awkward pause before he continued.:"Well? Is it now custom in Imladris to stop visitors just outside the gates, having them admire shelter and warmth from afar?"

"Only if the visitors try to ride right through their friendly escort first", Elrohir shot back. They laughed, strangely relieved, and made their was back sharing comfortable chatter.

Aragorn joined in the light-hearted comversation, but a shadow of doubt lingered in his mind. Simply irgnoring his friends was not something Legolas would consider a suitable jest, that much he was sure of.

Once they had passed through the gates, Elladan and Elrohir excused themselves, asking their human brother to take their horses to the stables. "We need to seek out father, who surely lays out healing supplies for the good prince as we speak", Elrohir explained. "He will be pleasantly surprised to hear that he has no need of them."

Legolas, who had yet to dismount, snorted. "Seldom did I require your father´s help" he replied haughtily, "and today all I ask for is some food and warmth." With that, he steered his horse into the stables.

Aragorn ushered the twins´ horses in ahead of his own, swiftly accommodating all three beasts. He then found Legolas rubbing down his grey stallion. The animal hungrily devoured every eatable fibre around him. To Aragorn´s eyes, it looked somewhat slimmer than it had during the summer. The same could be said about its rider.

"Did you meet any trouble on the way here?"he asked cautiously, leaning against the stable door. He was careful to avoid looking at the elf directly. Legolas hated to be scrutenized.

His answer was a tired chuckle that sounded haflway between amused and slightly annoyed. "Nay, my friend, I – do not recall anything being amiss on my journey. Apart from the weather, that is. It seems I picked a poor moment to cross the pass. "

"It was perfectly fine when I crossed the mountains" Aragorn replied, strechting the truth somewhat. "Maybe you should have come a little earlier. What delayed you?"

There was no reply. The man glanced over his shoulder. Legolas, his back to the door, had stopped rubbing down the stallion, that in turn had stopped eating. Instead, he had turned his head towards his master. Both seemed to be frozen for a moment, but then the horse gave Legolas a gentle nudge and the elf resumed his actions as if nothing had happened.

Aragorn turned away, frowning, deciding to likewise ignore the little incident. Even elves could tire after a long journey, he reminded himself.

"Well?" he asked, letting Legolas know that he still waited for an explanation. He sensed the prince turning his head to him, and after a minute he answered somewhat haltingly: "I decided to – visit a few places in Mirkwood that I had long not had the heart to go to."

Aragorn nodded without really understanding but wisely kept himself from intruding fruther, for he sensed this might be difficult territory. Some things were best left to other days.

The evening meal was a joyous affair. Legolas was a frequent visitor to Imladris and well-liked by its inhabitants. Even so, Aragorn sensed the Imladris elves behaving slightly differently than was their custom on such occasions. Instead of asking Legolas about his journey and affairs in Mirkwood, they largely entertained him with tales of their own.

The human kept a close eye on his friend, still torn between a slight sense of forboding and the feeling that he was needlessly mothering a being far older than himself. To his relief, there seemed tob e nothing wrong with Legolas´ responses as he politely shared the others´ amusement. He seemed tired, aye, but that was no cause for worry.

Earlier than usual Lord Elrond excused himself, giving Legolas the chance to retire as well.

Aragorn stayed by the table, trying to shake his unease in the company of family and friends. Eventually, the fire in the hearth had dimmed to glowing embers and all that was left of the merry company was the human and his elven brothers.

They had been sharing a comfortable silence for a while when Aragorn spoke up, his thoughts turning to their first meeting with Legolas this evening.

"What did you say to Legolas up on the path, Elladan?" he asked the older twin. „You did not seem to share our happy mood."

A quick glance passed between the twins. Belatedly the human realized that they had discussed this matter before, possibly when he had accompanied Legolas to the stables.

"I was happy enough to see our friend" Elladan replied, "but he seemed – distant. I merely reminded him of our presence."

The ranger raised an eyebrow. Elves hardly needed reminding of things that were right in front of their eyes.

Elladan sensed his brother´s unease and shrugged with a smile. "Do not worry so, Estel. You should know that even elves need rest sometimes. I imagine that Legolas had a somewhat stressful journey and having entered our safe realm, he simply allowed himself some respite."

After a few heartbeats Aragorn understood. "Do you mean he rode down that path asleep?"

"Better than half-dead" Elrohir replied, seemingly as undisturbed as his brother. "I am sure he will share the reason for his exhaustion soon enough. Until then, let us be glad that we are all here and safe just this once."

Estel leaned back, nodding, as he felt his own need for sleep settle down upon him like a weight. His brothers were right. It was rare indeed for all of them to be home unscathed and with no need to ride into new dangers soon. Why look for sorrows where there were none?

Aragorn awoke the following morning to the sight of thickly drifting snowflakes in front of his window. He could not help but smile to himself. Tired or not, Legolas´ timing had been quite impeccable.

In the corridor he heard the twins make a racket. They were laughing, talking loudly and not behaving like the elegant immortals that they really were – on occasion, at least.

When the human emerged from his rooms refreshed and dressed for the day, he found his brothers sprawled on one of the sofas that were situated along the walls of the corridor.

"Taking a rest from waking the dead?" Aragorn teased and nudged Elrohir aside to drop into the soft cushions at his side. "You certainly made enough noise to be heard even underground."

The younger twin grinned wickedly. "It worked well enough on you, little brother. For everyone else there was little difference. Before we raised our lovely voices, your snores threatened to bring down the roof."

"Aye, no wonder everyone else was up so early", Elladan chimed in. "Except for you and our sleeping prince, that is."

There was a pregnant pause. Aragorn rose, defiantly defending his good mood with a grin. "It seems that there are some things best left to humans. There is none better to cause a racket that will truly rouse everyone within earshot."

With that he marched off towards Legolas chambers. Behind him, he heard Elrohir quip to his brother: "He is quite correct, you know. Unless there is a halfling in need of food around."

"Aye" Elladan answered, "or a dwarf asked to ride upon a horse."

Aragorn knew that they kept up their chatter to calm his nerves, but if failed to work. He briefly considered masking his concern by some clever trick but then decided to simply act upon impuls.

He knocked at Legolas´ door none too gently, calling out: "Breakfast is served, your highness", knowing full well that both the noise and the title should elict an instant response.

Not this time. The ranger´s instinctive unease grew into fear. He knocked a second time, then a third. By now the twins had stopped bickering, their faces openly showing their worry.

Without any further ado Aragorn opened the door. His gaze went to the bed immediately, only to find it empty and perfectly made. Any relief he might have felt was cut short by the intense cold that filled the room, turning the man´s breath into white clouds.

An untouched blanket of snow had accumulated on the floor where the balcony door stood open, revealing a silent figure standing perfectly motionless, head cocked slighty as if listening to a distant tune.

Legolas was still wearing the clothes he had donned the night before, his hair covered in snow, his posture so still that he could have been made of ice. The image momentarily froze Aragorn´s heart, but he quickly tore himself free of his shock.

The man was beside his friend so quickly that he hardly felt himself move. His eyes took in the glittering sheen of ice that covered Legolas´ slender hands where they gripped the railing. The front of his tunic was entirely covered in a layer of snow and single flakes even rested upon his eyebrows.

The woodelf´s gaze was unfocussed in elven sleep, but to Aragorn it seemed that it was far more distant than it should have been, almost devoid of life.

Most humans would shy away in fear the first time they saw an elf sleep, thinking the open eyes signalled the absence of a soul in the still gaze. Having spent most of his life close to the immortals, Aragorn knew better. He had often watched dream and reality mingle in eyes that saw elven dreams enfold before them. There was life in these eyes, there was life in these dreams.

But looking upon Legolas now, it was almost as if his friend´s soul had retreated too deeply, leaving his eyes empty mirrors.

Aragorn grabbed the prince´s arms tightly, wincing as the cold bit into his skin, and shook him forcefully. "Legolas, tirado nin!"/Legolas, see me!/ he called loudly once, twice, a third time.

By then both Elladan and Elrohir were at his side. To his immense surprise, they seemed to be more worried about him than about their elven friend, whose consciousness remained deeply buried in sleep.

Elrohir took Aragorn´s hands and peeled them off the prince with some effort. "Let him be, Estel", he said softly. "All is well, do not worry."

The human rounded on his brother in exasperation. "What is well? That Legolas will not wake or that he almost froze to death over night?"

"Elves do not freeze to death", Elladan chided softly from within the room. Amazingly, he had been able to steer Legolas to a chair and even make him sit down in it. "Not in one night, at least. Though I admit that a certain degree of warmth is much more comfortable." He draped a blanket around Legolas and straightened, looking at his twin. "I shall fetch father. Try to ease Estel´s mind."

Aragorn was torn between worry and intense anger. He almost felt as he had done when he had been a little boy, untrained in elven ways. He well remembered how patiently and overly carefully many things had been explained to him. He stared at Elrohir, infuriated at being treated this way once more, and the younger twin averted his eyes with a slight wince.

"I am truly sorry, brother", he said in a sincere voice, guiding the ranger inside and closing the door behind them. He turned and busied himself starting a fire in the hearth as he continued to speak.

"We had hoped that Legolas would find what he was looking for during the night. We should have explained to you what we suspected, but we did not out of respect for our friend´s privacy."

Aragorn sank down on the bed, thouroughly confused now. He was just about to ask a question when the door opened and Lord Elrond entered the room. His gait was totally unhurried, probably by design to further calm his human son´s worries. He nodded towards his his sons, then he knelt in front of Legolas, took his hands into his own and gazed into his eyes.

He remained motionless for a long time, almost as if the woodelf´s affliction had passed to him, too, but then he rose. "It is as we suspected last night," Elrond said and added, looking directly at Aragorn:" Our friend is well enough for now, Estel. He merely walks upon yanta enyalie."

The human glanced up in surprise. "The path of memories?" he translated the Quenya words. "What does that mean?"

"It means what it says", Elladan said simply. "Sometimes, a night´s walk through our memories is not enough for us to regain a past thought or recapture a clear image. It is then that we choose a path that leads us farther away from the waking world."

"That sounds like a dangerous endeavour", the human replied uncomortably. "Can you not get lost on that path? And what happens if danger draws near, forcing a quick reaction?"

Elrond smiled. "Would you get lost in Imladris in the dark?" he asked. "Nay, you would not, for you have trodden its halls so many times that the very design of the corridors has embedded itself into your mind. It is like that with elven dreams. Even so, this deep path is only used when the body can rest in a safe place. There have been occasions in the past, however, when such safety has proven elusive."

He paused thoughtfully as if considering how to continue. "Some elves have been slain during a dream walk", he explained then, deep sadness in his voice. "When there is true danger about, a call warns the dreamer, yet it takes a while to return to the waking world."

He smiled reassuringly. "So as you can see, Legolas was wise to choose Imladris, especially at a time when the most vigilant ranger of all resides here. He is safe enough, and once he has found what he is seeking, he will awake all on his own."

Lord Elrond turned to leave, but not without offering an encouraging smile to Aragorn. Elladan followed his father, patting the human on the shoulder before he disappeared into the hallway. Elrohir also stepped towards the door, no doubt to give his youngest brother time to ponder what he had heard. Aragorn stopped him with a raised hand.

"Tell me", he said quietly, "what sort of memory could be buried so far within an elf´s mind that it would take days to find?" He had no doubt now that Legolas had entered this dream state repeatedly even before he had reached the safety of Imladris, and the thought worried him deeply. "I was under the impression that every memory is as clear as day to you."

Elrohir hesitated at the door. A look of doubt crossed his fair features, but then his eyes softened in understanding for the human´s struggle to comprehend his friend´s state.

"It can be a matter of coice", he answered quiety. "There are some memories we have no desire to encounter when we walk in dream, Estel. These we send away into the darker places where we seldom venture." He paused. "At other times the memories flee on their own account, hiding from us. It is almost as if they endeavour to protect us and keep us from pain."

Aragorn opened his mouth to ask a question that burned in his mind, but then he stopped himself. His actions had not been lost on the elf, however. There was a silence that strechted between them before Elrohir raised his voice again, albeit only slightly above a whisper. "I have chosen this path but once before, Estel" he answered the unspoken question, "to recall my mother´s face after she had bid us goodbey."

The next days and weeks proved to be a challenge for Aragorn. He felt very much like he did when his friend was injured and in need of his assistance, yet at the same time he seemed to be an intruder whenever he entered the prince´s chamber. Even so, he would come to watch Legolas sit silently, his glazed eyes in turn refelcting the fire´s flames in the darkness or the sun´s merry rays during daytime.

To ease his tension, the human prowled the fair halls im Imladris constantly, finding peace neither in the library that would usually occupy him for days on end nor in the company of the elves, whose seeming indifference ground on his nerves. It was almost as if Legolas had not even arrived at all, for his name was hardly mentioned and none but Elrond or his sons ever came close to him.

Elladan and Elrohir made the greatest effort to distract the young ranger. They also repeated their explanation that the other elves merely respected Legolas´ choice to spend his time in memories rather than in their company. Even so, Aragorn had seldom felt so estranged from the race that he considerd his truest kin. His time amongst the humans had lessened this feeling somewhat, but it had not erased it.

It pained him to feel so differently from everyone else. There were even times when he got close to wishing that Legolas was injured instead of asleep, because then he could have shared his worries with those around him. He despised himself for the selfish thought.

One night Aragorn had yet again found his way into Legolas´ room, quietly sitting by the fire. He gazed into the flames, his back to the elf. This was a habit he had aquired of late, trying to combine his presence with the greatest possible privacy for his friend.

He pondered what Legolas had told him the night of his arrival. What places had he visited in Mirkwood? The ranger felt certain that it had been this visit that had triggered the prince´s retreat. He cursed the cold winds and high snow outside, for he felt sure that a ride to Mirkwood might have fianlly brought a change to the elf´s condition.

He could not bear the thought that he might have to wait for spring to try the only remedy that had entered his mind. Aragorn had not failed to notice that the absence of true nourishment was beginning to take a toll on the slim elf. Now and again they would be able to get him to eat a little, and he heard nothing but assurances that this would be enough to sustain him. Even so, his heart ached and his healer´s senses were running out of patience.

"Still holding a vigil, young one?" The voice from behind him made the human jump. An elf with hair as golden as that of Legolas had silently walked up behind him and now placed another chair next to Aragorn´s.

Glorfindel sat down with a slight smile on his face that was not quite smug, but infuriatingly close to it. The ancient warrior looked to all the world like he was about to strike up a conversation with an old friend. In the past weeks he had seemed no less distant than most other elves, however, and he too had avoided Legolas´ room entirely.

The surprise must have shown on the young ranger´s face, for Glorfindel laughed merrily, if quietly. "Come now, Estel. Since when have you been able to predict me?"

It was true. The Balrog Slayer was amongst the most mysterious beings Aragorn knew. Sometimes he seemed almost as close to him as his elven brothers, sometimes as aloof as the legend that surrounded him like an invisible halo.

It seemed that tonight Glorfindel had decided to venture close once more, and the man could not help but be curious at what he wished to say.

For a while, the golden-haired elf said nothing at all. He simply stared into the fire, seemingly perfectly content. Aragorn knew that prodding him would be useless, but it grew more and more difficult for him to wait. He could not help squirming just a little, anxious to hopefully receive help.

It was then that Glorfindel turned to him, his eyebrows raised in mild rebuke. "Ever impatient you are, young mortal. It is a trait of your kind."

The words stung more than the ranger wanted to admit to himself. "I cannot help being who I am", he said with slight defiance, "and I cannot change that I do not have decades to wait things out."

"That is true", the elf replied, "and as much as many would contradict me, I see this as one of your advanteges." There was a pregnant pause. "If applied wisely."

Aragorn heart started to beat a little faster. "So you would advise action being taken about Legolas´ state?" he asked eagerly.

Glorfindel chuckled. "You are truly impatient tonight, Estel, or else you would not talk to me about advice. Many times I have told you that there is hardly a more dangerous gift. My thoughts upon the matter could be as wrong as yours are deemed to be, so I will not give you advice."

He half turned his head into Legolas´ direction and nodded towards him. "However, I will tell you that you have chosen an elf for a friend whose mind is even more complicated than that of most, not that this is his fault. He will forever be torn between the swift spirit inherited from his mother and the need for restraint taught by his father. He has many buried thoughts for one so young, especially thoughts about his mother, or so I have concluded."

"Do you see his choice to walk down yanta enyalie as a mistake?"Aragorn asked cautiously.

Glorfindel shook his head. "That is not my place to judge, Estel. I do not consider the path of memories a healthy device, however. Many a trap can be laid by our own subconscious. In all likelihood, some things may be found more easily when awake than when asleep. Especially with a true friend at one´s side."

Aragorn nodded to himself. He was glad that the ancient warrior´s words seemed to support his own wish to travel to Mirkwood with his friend.

"Yet I cannot help him where he is", he exclaimed in frustration, "he will have to wake up first. Only then can I offer my assistance. Only the Valar know when he will decide to return to us."

"Maybe he just needs a little prodding", Glorfindel replied. "A reminder that the waking world may just hold the answers that seem so elusive in sleep." He smiled. "Just as you need to be remided that you may spend your time more wisely than walking about the Last Homely House as moody as a dragon cheated out of his teasure. There could be a way to combine your needs and his, do you not think so?"

The Balrog Slayer rose in one fluent motion, surprising Aragorn yet again by his unexpected departure. "Fare you well, young human", he said. "I have heard people say that tomorrow might be a nice day for a ride."

With that, he left the young ranger to his thoughts.

"Thank the Valar someone has finally decided to take this burden from us! That horse causes more racket than the others combined."

Aragorn could not suppress a grin. Obviously, the elves in the stables were more than a little relieved that he wanted to take his and Legolas´ stallions for a ride.

"I shall return the burden to you by nightfall" he replied lightly, guiding the excited grey beast into the coutyard. The rest and food had done the horse a world of good, for he looked whole and well sustained once more. However, no one had been able to persuade him to go outside until this day. Aragorn felt a slight tinge of guilt for his lack of trying.

Outside, he found his brothers who supported Legolas between them. The sleeping elf had followed them without troubles. He had not shown any sign of waking. Lord Elrond was present also, an unreadable expression on his face. Aragorn suspected that he knew of Glorfindel´s visit.

"I hope the ride will do you good, my son", he said. "The fresh air may well lift your mood and it can certainly not harm Legolas, either."

Indeed, the sleeping prince had been helped onto his horse already and sat on its back with the practiced ease of decades of experience. Looking at him from the side, Aragorn would have thought him to be awake.

"I will take care that nothing happens", he promised as he mounted his own steed. He only prayed that he merely stretched the truth, because his plan did contain risks. He hoped that they did not outweight their benefits.

Elrohir and Elladan seemed to suspect as much, for they called after the two riders: "Do not venture too far..." "...the weather might change quite suddenly."

Aragorn waved and nodded to acknowledge their warning but did not turn as he easily galloped up the path leading away from Imladris.

For a while, Aragorn merely allowed his horse to take the lead, his thoughts on what he was about to do. As soon as they had left the steep path behind, he had taken his place at Legolas´ side for the unlikely case that his friend should be unseated by a sudden movement.

However, nothing untoward happened. The horses raced along in delighted, fluent movements, their hooves creating glittering showers of tiny ice-flakes around them. The sky was a deep, clear blue, yet Aragorn could sense approaching snowfall in the air.

He decided to fill his friend in on his plan, no matter how long his message might need to reach the elf´s consciousness.

"I cannot allow this to continue, my friend," he began, "you have searched on your own for long enough, even though I am not sure what it is you are looking for. You need to come back now, for only then can we face this problem together like we have done so often before."

As he had expected, there was no reaction. He sighed. Long had he pondered what could force his friend to wake, and he would soon try his first option. He could only hope that he would not cause more harm than good.

When the two riders had reached an open plain, Aragorn stopped his horse and Legolas´ stallion followed suit with an annoyed shake of the head, signalling that he was not yet tired. The man ignored the animal, however. Instead, he intently watched the landscape, looking for hidden rocks under the snow´s blanket. He needed to chose the correct place or else he would never forgive himself.

After a while, he made his decision and picked up speed again, steering his horse towards the most even portion of the plain. Once they had reached it, he took a deep breath. "Forgive me", he whispered, reached across and gave Legolas a solid shove.

The elf´s horse whinnied in distress when it sensed its rider slide sideways and tried to compensate the sudden shift. At the same time, Aragorn could see Legolas´ fingers reflexively tighten their otherwise loose hold on his stallion´s mane. Both actions proved futile, however.

The ranger had put a lot of force into his push and Legolas tumbled off his horse, rolling onto the ground in a cloud of snow.

Aragorn brought his horse around and dismounted before it had stopped, anxiously dropping to his friend´s side. Feverishly, he looked the elf over for injuries and was relieved when he found none. However, the fall had not had the desired effect either, for Legolas´ eyes remained glazed and unfocussed.

The ranger cursed under his breath, but refused to give up. With some difficulty, he managed to heave his friend back onto his stallion and mounted his own horse

"On to the next option then", me mumbled under his breath. "I will see you awake yet, you stubborn elf."

It took them the better part of an hour to reach a swift stream. Above them, the sky had noticably darkened, clouds collecting like a dark coven of wolves ready to strike. This looked to be more than just a short shower, and Aragorn decided that they would need to turn back soon. Should the river not wake Legolas, he would have to try again another day.

The cold temperatures of the past weeks had turned the outer portions of the river to ice, but livid water roared underneath. Under normal circumstamces Aragorn would not have set a single foot onto ice like this, much less force a friend to do so, but these were desperate times.

He slid off his horse and collected the sturdy rope from his pack. Reaching upwards, he slid it beneath Legolas´ arms and tied it securely around his friend´s torso.

"I wonder how I will explain this to Ada", he muttered to himself as he carefully pulled Legolas off his horse. The elf´s stallion watched them with suspicion in his eyes. Aragorn sighed, giving the grey beast´s neck a quick, gentle rub.

"I am sorry, my friend", he explained, "but your master will not wake up on his own. It is beginning to weaken him. He needs to become strong again, like you did, and then I promise to help him find what he is looking for, but first..." He trailed off and faced the stream as he tied the other end of the rope around himself

The current was stronger than he had anticipated, and for a moment he wondered whether it was wise to go through with his plan on this day. The wind had picked up, and the first tiny snowflakes began to needle the exposed skin of his face.

Finally, he made up is mind. He began walking again, and Legolas obediently followed along at his side. Stopping at the bank, Aragorn nudged Legolas ahead of him and held his breath when the elf stepped out onto the ice. It groaned ever so slightly but held fast for now while the elf kept walking , slowly approaching the edge where the ice grew paper-thin and the water raced along with gurgles and moans.

Aragorn grabbed the rope in front of him with both hands and dug in his heels. The horses nickered in distress, and it was in this second that Aragorn realized he should have tied the rope to one of the big animals. Why had he not thought of that? Too late now...

The ice gave way with a sickening crunch. Legolas sidestepped the first hole that appeared beneath his feet, then a second, but he was far from his normal nimble self and finally fell sideways in eerie silence.

The ranger braced himself for the sharp jolt on the rope when the elf´s weight pulled it taut. The current added to the prince´s weight and Aragorn felt himself slide on the snow-covered ground.

"Legolas!", he yelled, hoping against hope that this short time in the embarce of the winter´s river had been enough to call his friend back, "Legolas, lhodo!" /Legolas, swim!/

He had no time to make sure whether the elf complied. With all his might he sought to stay on the river´s bank, throwing his weight backwards forcefully. He swiftly considered letting go of the rope, which was bound to his body in any case, and at least try to grab for one of the horses. But then the brief moment of consideration had passed and the pull on the rope forced his feet onto the ice. He knew that he was doomed.

His boots immediately lost purchase and slipped from beneath him. For a seemingly endless moment he flailed his arms, trying in vain to regain his footing, before he was yanked forwards just as the ice beneath him broke away.

The cold hit Aragorn with such force that his breathing stopped for endless moments. An intense pain spread though his chest like liquid fire, a biting contrast to the numbing cold that turned his limbs to lead. His mind screamed at him to swim, to pull on the rope and try to get to Legolas, but his body failed to comply.

Somehow his head ended up above the water, and he managed to gulp in a stinging lungful of air. A shrill sound sliced through the roar of the water, and the young ranger realized that it was uttered by their horses who raced along the bank, frantic yet unable to help.

The sound drove into him with force, pulling his thoughts together and waking his will. With a grunt he forced his body to make a few tiny movements, just enough to keep him afloat. In front of him he could see blond hair spread out on the water as if the sunlight itself had come down from the heavens in an effort to warm the stream. Legolas´ face was beneath the surface.

An unexpected wave of fury washed through Aragorn. "Barad, Legolas, lhodo!" /Dammed, Legolas, swim!/ he yelled, but his voice sounded feeble even to his own ears. Dark dots danced in front of his eyes and then spread like ink in water until they blackened his vision, taking him under and drowning all sound.

Aragorn woke to an intense pain that laced his entire body. He numbly wondered how this was possible, since he had the distinctive feeling that he no longer owned a body at all. His head seemed to be on his shoulders still, but unfortunately it hurt as well.

With an immense effort he managed to turn his head and was mildly surprised to find himself looking into Legolas´ eyes. Something was wrong with them. They seemed to gain and lose focus, as if the elf could not decide whether to sleep or wake.

Even in his confused state of mind Aragorn had a very clear opinion on his particular question. "Hên amnin"/Eyes on me/ he croaked, and seeing that the elf began to lose his grip on the waking world, he moved the only part of his body he had any control over. His forehead collided with the elf´s, and darkness took him once more.

When Aragorn came to his senses again, he felt immensely hot, almost as if he lay in the midst of a fire. Fear rose inside of him and he tried to move, but something pinned him to the hard ground beneath his back.

"Daro, Estel"/Stop Estel/, he heard a familiar voice say. „"Le caeleb." /You (are) sick./ Slowly, Legolas´ face began to manifest above him, as if the elf´s head was floating in the air.

The intense heat suddenly faltered and was replaced by a cold that made Aragorn´s teeth chatter. He felt a blanket being wrapped around him. Trying to make sense of the world, he forced his eyes to focus some more. A small fire burned to his right. Blearily, he wondered how it could have created the intense heat he had woken up to.

In the distance, but not too far away, he heard the shuffling and small neighs of horses. Images floated through his mind of Legolas falling off his stallion – something so unheard of that he must have surely dreamed it.

"Are you still with me, Estel?" The man grunted in response and turned his head to see Legolas leaning against a rough stone wall beside him. His healer´s senses churned uneasily at how drawn and pale his friend looked.

"It is not I who am sick", Aragorn ground out. His throat burned with every syllable. "You are." He could sense the profound truth in the statement.

Slightly dazed blue eyes cleared considerably when they threw him a look that did not quite manage to be haugthy.

"Elves do not get sick, Estel", the elf declared, "not even when their friends try to drown them. Now sleep."

With the drowsy promise to himself that he would get to the person who had dared harm his friend, Aragorn complied.

The next awakening brought the uneasy realization that Legolas had been correct in his assesment. Aragorn was sick, and he felt it with every fibre of his being.

Seeing that he was awake, Legolas was beside him in an instant – not a difficult feat in the small cave that gave them shelter. Their horses blocked the entrance, their heads turned towards them with intense stares. Behind the animals, snow fell so thickly that it resembled a white wall rather than individual flakes. The wind howled as if mad that they had momentarily escaped it. Cold drafts kept sneaking inside, making the human shiver.

The young ranger opened his mouth, but found that his voice now completely eluded him. Frustrated, he closed his mouth again and simply raised an eyebrow.

A small smile appeared on Legolas´ rather gaunt face. "I can see how you must have practised this gesture" he mused, " for it to look so much like Lord Elrond´s." The trace of humor quickly disappeared, however, and the elf sighed heavily.

"To answer your question, we are in a cave. I assume we must be somewhere near Imladris, as my last memories are of my room there. It seems that you decided to take me for a merry outing. Unfortunately, you then saw it fit to throw both of us into a very cold stream."

Aragorn´s brow furrowed when he tried to make sense of the elf´s words. Why by the Valar would he commit such a foolish act? But then, in a rush that was almost physically painful, it all came back to him. He felt his eyes widen with the guilt that settled heavily onto his shoulders.

His friend had been gazing at his face and easily read his expression. "I did not mean to sound accusing", he explained. "It was I who made a grave mistake." He fell silent, his eyes suddenly distant. Aragorn felt an onslaught of fear and grabbed the elf´s knee, shaking him as roughly as his strength permitted.

Immeditaley, Legolas returned his attention to him. "Forgive me, Estel. I fear that I ventured down yanta enyalie a bit too far. I still feel my undiscovered memories pulling at me, urging me to return."

Aragorn shook his head vigirously, even though the movement made his head swim and his eyes water in pain. The elf placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Do not worry, Aragorn. I will not give in to the pull. You can rely on me. Now I have more urgent matters to attend to than chasing far-off memories." His gaze swept over the horses and the howling whiteness outside. "I have to bring this wayward ranger home to a real healer."

Aragorn felt his insides clench at the thought. He felt weaker than ever before, and facing the cold storm and the jostling ride seemed almost too much to bear... but only for a moment. He envisioned Lord Elrond, the warm glow of a hearth and the soothing lull of medicine. His resolve strengthened, he nodded at Legolas.

Smiling wanly, the elf inclined his head at him. "I thank you for your trust, my friend. And I promise that just as you take this journey home with me, I shall take one to my home with you. It is the better path than the one into my memories."

The matter settled, the elf started to pack their belongings and ready the horses. Aragorn closed his eyes wearily, drinking in the diminishing heat of their little fire. He knew that he would have to do without warmth for quite a while, but he was willing to face the challenge.

The absence of cold and pain felt like a precious gift to Aragorn as he slowly floated back towards consciousness. Images threatened to disturb his peace, images of snow groping for him with swirling hands, of dark water threatening to pull him to unknown depths. However, the sounds and smells of home helped him to push them aside.

The precious softness of pillows and the soft crackling of a fire surrounded him, bestowing a feeling of safety and home. He savoured this for long moments before he gently forced his eyes to open.

Even though the high ceilings of Imladris that spread above him did not come as a surprise, he could not surpress a smile at their sight. He gingerly turned his head to the side to see a large chair placed near his bed. The still elf occupying it was obviously asleep, and the sight drove any feeling of peace out of Aragorn as if he had been pulled into the icy river yet again.

Ignoring the light pain in his head and limbs, he shot up and grabbed Legolas by the shoulders, shaking him vigorously. Blue eyes unveiled in an instant, just in time to see the ranger double over as a sudden intense hurt sliced through his chest.

"By the Valar, Estel, what are you doing!" Shortness of breath prevented the man from answering what he considered a perfectly superfluous question. He wheezed and coughed for long moments, trying to get himself under control. At the edge of his consciousness he felt other elves enter the room, and before long a soothing smell drifted around him, easing his coughs.

With a sigh of relief he leaned back, finding that the cushions in his bed had miraculously formed a nice clean stack, supporting him in a sitting position that further calmed his breathing.

When he finally managed to focus on the world around him, he saw himself surrounded by four stern-looking elves.

"Are you better now, ionn-nîn?" Lord Erlond asked, but the question sounded more like an accusation.

Aragorn nodded, considered whether he could trust his voice and finally ground out:"It was his fault." He pointed at Legolas. "He slept."

"I only did as Lord Elrond bid me to", the woodelf was quick to reply, carefully sitting back down in his chair. "Only under this condition was I permitted to stay at your sickbed, human. Do not forget that I was thrown off my horse and into a river not long ago."

"Thrown off your horse?" the ranger asked cautiously, happy that he managed the question without further coughing. He distinctly remembered that this particualr remedy had not had the desired effect.

Legolas smiled knowingly. "I would not leave your side, my friend, as is my habit when something ails you. It just so happens that you talked in your sleep." The smile turned into a grin. "And I might add that, as bruised as I am by the fall, it at least served to wake me up."

Aragorn shook his head in disbelief but before he could voice his doubts, Elladan said sternly: "And lucky you were that he did, Estel. Did father not say that waking takes its time? Ever impatient!" He turned away, true anger radiating from him.

"If Legolas had not been on his path to the waking world, he would have never survided the river and neither would you have" Elrohir explained quietly. "This was a rash action on your part, Estel."

Silence fell amongst them. When Aragorn opened his mouth to apologize, however, it was Legolas who spoke first.

"Rash as this may have been, we are both still here. And Estel was correct to call me back, for I was in grave danger of losing myself in my memories. Even after waking I kept falling back into them and needed – reminders." He gingerly touched the fading bruise on his forehead from when Aragorn had jolted him awake on the stream´s bank.

A rare expression of surprise spread on Lord Elrond´s face, and both of his sons looked equally taken aback. It was obvious that Legolas had so far refrained from talking about his experiences.

Slightly uneasy under their intense gazes the prince went on: "I am not sure what would have happened if Aragorn had called me back at a later time. Or even worse, if no one had even endeavoured to do so at all. I am grateful for his impatience."

"It seems that I was not so wrong after all", the human rasped, "but for my methods I sincerely apologize. I agree that I should have put more consideration into them. Even so, it seems that I am not the only sick person around after all." He took a deep breath, stilling the cough that threatened to overcome him.

"Estel", Lord Elrond began, only to have his sons finish in unison: "Elves do not get sick."

The elf lord nodded, but a slight smile graced his lips. "Still, I feel that we should reconsider our code of behaviour when it comes to the path of memories. Glorfindel has long since thought so."

He pointed a finger at Aragorn, then turned the same gesture on Legolas. "The two of you will stay calm and allow each other to recover, or I shall personally remove you to the farthest corners of Imladris."

He glanced at his sons. "You will make sure my orders are followed in this room. And of course you will show impeccable behaviour yourselves. I have had enough troubles of late."

With those words he left the younger elves to themselves. Elrohir sat down at the far end of Aragorn´s bed while Elladan perched on the arm of Legolas´ chair.

"Father is only on edge because he had to ride through a snowstorm to get the two of you home", the older twin said with a smile, indicating that his anger had passed. "Elrohir and I are used to such measures, of course, but father was not so amused."

Aragorn yawned comfortably. "I am sure he was even less happy to find the both of us sick", he replied smugly, closing his eyes to the joined protests of the elves. He was inclined to find his rest now, because come spring he intended to take Legolas up on his offer and search Mirkwood for the hidden memories of his mother. This endevour would bring new dangers, of that he had no doubt.

But for now, he was conent to be home and recover in the company of his friends and family.

*** The End ***


End file.
